Combined endgate and loading elevator for trucks



March 11, 1941. M. P. ZlMlCKl 2,234,513

COMBINED ENDGATE AND LOADING ELEVATOR FOR TRUCKS Filed Dec. 26, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 A iiomeys March 11, 1941. M. P. ZIMICKI COMBINED BNDGATE AND LOADING ELEVATOR FOR TRUCKS Filed Dec. 26, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 In venfor A ttorneys 4 Sheets -Shet s Inventor March 11, 1941. m. P. ZIMICKI COMBINED BNDGATE AND LOADING ELEVATOR FOR TRUCKS Filed Dec. 26, 1.939

M A iiomeyv March 11, 1941. M Z M 2,234,513

CBHBINED BNDGATE AND LOADING ELEVATOR FOR TRUCKS Filed D90. 26, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 M M M Q 3% J i N r3 I Inventor Patented Mar. 11, 1941 comm ENDGATE AND LOADING amvs'roa roa 'rnucxs Marche P. Zimicki, Strawn, Tex.

Application December 26, 1939, Serial No. 311,017

8 Claims.

The present invention relates to trucks and similar commercial vehicles and has for its primary object to provide a combined endgate and loading elevator swingably mounted at the end 6 of the truck for closing the rear thereof and embodying means for raisingand lowering the endgate when the latter is in its open position whereby to hoist articles from the road level into a convenient podtion for loading the sameinto 1 the truck.

An important object of the present invention is to provide hydraulic means for swinging the endgate into its open or closed position and also employing separate hydraulic means for raising 15 and lowering the endgate when the latter is in a horizontal position whereby to lift heavy merchandise from the roadway into position for placing the same in the truck body.

A still further object is to provlde an appa- 20 ratus of this character of simple and practical,

construction, which is strong and durable, efilcient and reliable in performance, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings 30 forming part hereof wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout and in which- Figure 1 is a side elevational view showing the endgate in open position and in use as an elevator.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view showing the endgate in closed position.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the elevator in its lowermost position.

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on a line H of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the link connecting the bottom section of the endgate with the swingably mounted frame.

Figure '7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on a line 'I-'I of Figure 1.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary detail of the spacing washer for the swingably mounted elevator frame.

5 Figure 9 is a sectional view taken substantially on a line H of Figure 1, and

Figure 10 is a sectional view of a modified form of guide for the elevator.

Referring now to the drawings in detail,

55 wherein for the purpose I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 5 designates a truck body mounted on the wheel 6, he body being open at its rear end to permit.

the loading and unloading of merchandise into so the body. The rear end of the body is adapted to be closed by an endgate composed of a lower section I and an upper section I.

To the outer surface of the lower section i is secured a plurality of brackets 9, each of the brackets including an eye ll within which is secured the intermediate portion of a rod ll, shown in detail in Figure 6 of the drawings, the rod extending transversely at the end of the truck body and having its opposite end portions bent forwardly as shown at I! and secured in brackets ll attached to the frames "-14 positioned at the opposite sides of the truck body 5. Each of the frames ll are of identical construction and accordingly, a detailed description of one will suflice for both.

Each of the frames include a pair of spaced parallel members lU-li secured in spaced reiag tion by cross-plates It. A cross-plate I1 is also secured inwardly of the members I! to which a pin II is secured at one end. the pin extending through the side wall of the truck body 5 and provides a pivotal mounting for the frame. A spacingldisk it is interposed between the plate l1 and the adjacent side of the truck body as shown in Figure 5 of the drawings. The pin it is positioned adjacent. one end of the frame M and is journalled in the body adjacent its rear lower edge asshown in Figure 3 of the drawings. The other end of the frame is adapted to swing in an are from the horizontal position shown in Figure 2 of the drawings to the vertical position as shown in Figure 1. An arcuate guide plate 20 is secured to the adjacent side of the truck body, the inner edge of the plate 20 having a guide flange I i spaced from the adjacent surface of the body and under which a lug 22 is adapted to travel, the his being secured to one of the cross-plates ll.

Siidably mounted between the members Ii of the frame is an L-shaped member 28 including the right-angularly disposed end portions 24 and 2!, the portion 2| having tongues 24' formed on its edge portion slidabiy mounted in grooves 21 formed on the opposed edges of the members I! of the frame. The portion 2! is formed of angle iron, as shown in Figure 9 of the drawingathe portions 25 at the opposite sides of the truck being secured to the side edges of the upper section 8 of the endgate to form the platformof the elevator when the endgate is in its open position as shown in Figure 1 of the drawings.

Braces '28 connect the outer end of the portion 25 of the elevator to the frame member it To one of the cross members It is secured one end of a cylinder 21, the opposite end of the cylinder being open and within which is workably fitted a piston 28, one end of the piston projecting outwardly of the cylinder and is attached to the end portion It of the L-shaped mem-. 5

her 23 by means of a bracket 28. A pipe or hose 38 is attached to the closed end eLthe cylinder and extends to a suitable source of pressure supplinsuch as a compressed air tank or a hydraulic pump, not shown.

To the intermediate portion of the rod Ii is a crank 3| to which is attached one end of a piston rod 32 projecting from one end of a cylinder 38, the other end of the cylinder being pivotally mounted as at 34 to a crossframe 35 of the truck body. Hose or pipes 38-38 are connected to each end of the cylinder 33, the hose being connected to a suitable source of pressure for oppositely actuating the piston within the cylinder and to which the rod 32 is attached.

The bottom edge of the open end of the truck body 5 is provided with an arcuate guide 31 extending under the body to guide the lower section I of the endgate into and out of its closed position during the swinging movement of the frame members H.

In the operation of the device, when pressure is admitted to the front end of the cylinder 33 the piston rod 32 will act on the crank 3| of the rod II to swing the crank from the position shown in the full lines in Figure 3 of the drawings, to the position shown by the dotted line whereby the lower section 1 of the endgate will be moved. into its closed position and simultaneously the frames M will be swung from the vertical position shown in Figure 1 of the drawings to the horizontal position shown in Figure 2 to also move the upper section 8 of the endgate .into its closed position. When it is desired to open the endgate section, pressure is admitted into the rear end of the cylinder 33 and a reverse operation of the parts will occur.

The release of pressure in the cylinders 21 carried by the frame members I will permit the members. 23 and the upper section of the endgate 8 to gravitate downwardly when the frame members II have been moved into their vertical positions, as shown in Figure 1 of the drawings, the admission of air or fluid under pressure into the cylinders 21 will cause an upward movement of the elevator composed of the members 23 and the section 8 of the endgate.

In Figure 10 I have illustrated a modified form of construction for the frame It in which the spaced parallel members are indicated at 38, having the grooves in the opposed edges thereof and the L-shaped member is shown at 38, and to the edges of which are journalled rollers 48 for operating in the grooves of the member 38.

It is believed the details of construction, operation and advantages of the device will be readily understood from the foregoing without further detailed explanation.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

1. A combined vehicle endgate and elevator comprising a pair of guide members pivotally mounted at opposite sides of the vehicle, a pair of L-shaped members having one end slidably mounted in each of the guide members, the other ends of saidL-shaped members providing a support for the side edges of the endgate, a crank shaft connecting the guide members for uniform movement, actuating means for the crank shaft for opening and closing the endgate against the rear end of the vehicle and means for raising and lowering said L-shaped members when the endgate is in its open position.

2. A combined vehicle endgate and elevator comprising a pair of guide members pivotally mounted at opposite sides of the vehicle, a pair of L-shaped members having one end slidably mounted in each of the guide members, the other ends of said L-shaped members providing a support for the side edges of the endgate, a crankshaft connecting the guide members for uniform movement, hydraulic means connected to the crank shaft for swingably actuating the guide members for opening and closing the endgate against the rear end of the vehicle and hydraulic means for raising .and lowering said L-shaped members when the endgate is in its open position.

3. A combined vehicle endgate and elevator comprising a pair of members pivotally mounted at opposite sides of the vehicle. a pair of L-shaped members having one end slidably mounted in each of the first named members, the other ends of said L-shaped members providing a support for the side edges of the endgate, a rod connecting the first named members for simultaneous movement, a fluid pressure actuated piston rod connected to said first named rod for swingably actuating the first named members for opening and closing the endgate against the rear end of the vehicle and fluid pressure actuating means engaging said second named members for rais-' means for actuating the crank for vertically swinging the guide and means for actuating the slide when the guide is in either its vertical or horizontal position.

5. A combined endgate and elevator for vehicles comprising a guide member pivoted at one end to the vehicle and swingaable from a horizontal to a vertical position, a slide having the endgate attached thereto, said slide being slidably mounted in the guide, a transversely extendingmrankshaft connected to the guide, hydraulic means attached to the crankshaft for swinging the member to open and close the endgate and hydraulic means for horizontally raising and lowering the endgate when the endgate is open. Y s

6. A combined endgate and elevator for vehicles comprising a pair of pivotedguide members at opposite sides of the vehicle and swingable from a horizontal to a vertical position, slides having the endgate attached thereto and mounted in said guide for sliding movement, means connecting the members for uniform swinging movement and including a transversely extending crankshaft having its ends attached to the respective members, means connected to the crankshaft for swingably actuating the guide members to open and close the endgate and means for horizontally raising and lowering the endgate when the latter is in its open position.

MARCHE P. ZIMICKI. 

